DEI Office Spotlight: WELCOME DEI INTERN, NAMTRA WAGLE!!

The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is excited to welcome DEI intern, Namtra Wagle. While interning with the Office of DEI, Namtra will support events, lead community learning sessions, and facilitate equity focused conversations on the Equity is podcast.

Namrta Wagle has been an advocate for DEI work since early high school. Throughout her high school career she was a student leader in Students Organized for Anti Racism. Through this work she planned community events, staff and student trainings, as well as lessons for elementary school kids. After she graduated, Namrta went on to work with Dr. Lori A Watson at Race Work, creating content for schools around the country, managing the social media, and even going back to local high schools and middle schools to lead students through racial equity training. During this time, she also became a certified boxing and self defense instructor.

Currently, Namrta is a student at Temple University studying Sociology and completing an internship for the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In her free time, she is involved with the Philly chapter of Planned Parenthood and the Peer Led Sex Ed club.

DEI School Community Highlight: Furness High School hosts Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.

Furness High School is known for recognizing and celebrating the diversity of cultures within its community throughout the academic year. The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration has brought the Furness community together for the past seven years. The Hispanic Month Celebration at Furness High School is a showcase of the cultural influence of a historically marginalized and often underappreciated population. The full spectrum of our COMUNIDAD and CELEBRATION shares traditions, authentic food, music, art, dance, and games to raise awareness and promote a more sensitive, equitable, knowledgeable, respectful and tolerant behavior toward staff and students alike.

Opportunity Highlight: Educator Symposium – Spring 2024 – Call for Facilitators

The Office of Professional Learning is seeking to hire teachers and counselors for the 2024 Educator Symposium. This year’s theme, EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE, holds intentional space for you to design a PD for your peers that will support our goal of socially just classrooms.

Do you have a culturally responsive lesson plan or an impactful community meeting? Perhaps, you have resources/methods for building authentic relationships with students? Maybe, you have an equity related resource you want to share with other educators? Educator Symposium is a place for you to share what you know and support your colleagues!  Accepted applicants will receive support through paid professional development sessions and work time.

For more details please view the application HERE.

For questions, please email Cristina Hart: cehart@philasd.org

Philadelphia Affinity Group Network Launching

Are you an educator of color who wants to connect with other educators of color? If so, Teach Plus is launching a Philadelphia Affinity Group Network in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia that focuses on cultivating authentic, inclusive, intersectional spaces shaped by and for educators of color.  These affirming and supportive spaces, rooted in an asset-based understanding of diversity, will support educators in navigating and improving their school environments and will be connected to a larger network to build alliances and address systemic issues. If you are interested in learning more or participating in the network, please take a few minutes to complete this interest form.

Affinity groups will begin in January and are open to all BIPOC teachers and other educators of color (in non-administrator roles) in the School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia-based charter schools. The affinity groups will meet at least monthly (starting in January 2024). Activities during affinity group meetings can include: building a supportive community through heart work & connection; providing professional ideas, support, advice & connection; identifying retention challenges in their districts; and, when feasible and safe, advocating to address those challenges. You can learn more about the Philadelphia Affinity Group Network here.